Jake froze when he realized Duke was staring straight into his soul.
'Maybe I shouldn't have asked for his approval… I just didn't want to ruin our relationship.'
"See... let's just forget I said anyth—"
"Bwahahahaha!!" Duke suddenly burst into laughter, loud and raw. "You never cease to amaze me, kid. Never..." His laughter eventually died down, but the look of genuine amusement remained on his face.
"Don't feel bad, lad. Actually, you make a decent point. Yeah, it was a little weird the way you came asking for my blessing, but I appreciate that you considered me first before taking action. Zunda and I… we were never truly compatible. Our marriage was arranged—family business, not love. I did try to be a good husband, but Zunda couldn't stand my frivolous lifestyle. Things really went downhill after Sid died and I went into slumber."
Old man Duke let out a small cough before continuing.
